Dragon of Lightning
by Jaquiila Arwen Danyle
Summary: American Quidditch Chaser Jae Long meets Oliver Wood and things happen that neither predicted.
1. The Decimation of a Generation

Disclaimer: concept and select characters do not belong to me but to J.K. Rowling. Jae Long, the school of the Carolinas among a few select things are my own but Harry Potter, Hogwarts and sadly enough Oliver Wood do not belong to me *sighs* This story is more centered around my personal character and her relationships with characters in the Harry Potter series. Enjoy.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
One~ The Decimation of a Generation  
  
  
  
"I can't believe it's over," Alexis Bonefit said as she adjusted her purple and gold tie out from her grey vest.  
  
Her dark haired friend had already removed her tie and had decided it looked better as a headband.  
  
"Jae, I don't even think that's muggle fashion this year."  
  
"Well I think the purple and gold compliment my black raven locks don't you think?"  
  
"You're never gonna get a guy..."  
  
"Good. No business of mine to care."  
  
Alexis just looked at her friend, her blue eyes annoyed and slightly repulsed. "Jae, people are gonna think..."  
  
"It ain't my business what other people think. I reckon they'll think what they wish to think regardless of what the truth of the matter is."  
  
"Jae..."  
  
"What is it Alexis?" her tone grew more serious.  
  
"Don't you want to get married someday?"  
  
"For heaven's sake are we thinking too far ahead."  
  
"But..."  
  
"I am 17-years-old. I'd like to have a life before I lose it or give it to another."  
  
"Jae..."  
  
"What now?"  
  
"Don't you want to?"  
  
"Heaven no. Far as I'm concerned I'm already married."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm married to Quidditch. That is my life."  
  
"Heck that's no life."  
  
"It's my life and I'm proud of it."  
  
"You'll never get a guy with that attitude."  
  
"Fine by me. If a guy can't accept who I am for what I am he ain't worth my time." Jae sniffed the air. "Food time!"  
  
Alexis watched and sighed as she saw Jae Long take off towards the Great Hall of Carolinas School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in a dead sprint.  
  
It was the eighth of May and exams had just let out a few days before. Jae and Alexis had finished their seventh and final year at school and in a few days they would be heading back home on the enchanted ski-lifts and train through the mountains fully graduated.  
  
The school was located deep within the Great Smokey Mountains in the state of North Carolina, hidden by the mystical fog in a section muggles, or what we think of as normal people or homo sapiens, those who could not use magic, could never get to or find. The closest town to this place was in Tennessee, a town called Gatlinburg, and every now and then students would go in there to browse the shops and Ripley's Believe it or Not or something like that. Nearby there was a small village that was completely for the students and other folks like them to do their shopping as well. In the commercial area though they were well protected and were not looked upon like they didn't belong. People in America hardly ever noticed when people had gifts in magic, and when they did, they no longer cared. Carolinas was the youngest of all these schools. It was founded only 100 years ago.  
  
After dinner Jae left the building on the Firebolt she had gotten from the company. They recognized her as the fastest Quidditch Chaser they had ever seen and offered to pay her to ride this broom. Jae could not object for it was indeed the best broom ever made.  
  
She was not like anyone else at her school and yet she wasn't Head Girl, prefect or Quidditch Captain. She was simply Jae Long, the only known telepathic, empathic and telekinetic witch ever. Her gifts in these fields produced within her an element of pre-cognition and something had told her to get out of the school building after dinner.  
  
Quidditch had always been her life. Ever since she was a little girl her muggle Gramma had always made her train. Jae's mother had been a Chaser for Gryffindor at Hogwarts school in Scotland when she was a girl and her father had been a Keeper here at the Carolinas for his, and now Jae's house called Slay.  
  
She flew to the Quidditch field and did laps up and down, circling the goal posts. She had always wondered what it was like on the other positions in the game for she had been a Chaser ever since her second year when she made the team for her house. Jae wasn't the best at first but had always been the fastest. She flew on Cleansweep Sevens ever since she could remember and had reached speeds unheard of on them. She positioned herself near the middle hoop out of the three on one edge of the stadium. It was her fourth year that began her unstoppable career. Although her team was far from undefeated, she had not yet been blocked by a Keeper since before the first game against Jones her fourth year at Carolinas. Headmaster Muse said that never before had he seen such talent on the Quidditch field. He told Jae that soon enough wizards and witches around the globe would know her name.  
  
"Jae Long!"  
  
She whirled around and saw her team, Carolinas' Quidditch Cup Champions of the Slay house. Joseph Marcus, the brilliant blue-eyed wonder or more commonly known as the Quidditch Captain and Keeper lead the five smaller male-types towards the field. He had also finished out his last year at Carolinas but since winning the Quidditch Cup, he had his eyes set on one thing, and the thought repulsed Jae for it was less than honorable she was certain.  
  
"What are you doing out here?" he asked her.  
  
"I was not about to let this beautiful day go to waste."  
  
He looked up at the sky and noticed something in the sky cloud formation. "Looks like a storm's a brewing. You best get indoors."  
  
She noticed that all the guys on the team were behind the male whose head had outgrown his body. Rolling her eyes she said, "I will come in when I see fit."  
  
"Arrogance will get you nowhere, Long," he said, his voice getting edgy and dark.  
  
"I'd suggest you'd listen to your own advice before giving it out."  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Practice what you preach. Nobody likes a hypocrite."  
  
"I'm your..."  
  
"Not anymore you aren't. And I'd suggest you watch your mouth before I am forced to come down there and knock it to the other side of your cranium."  
  
Michael Gabriel, a sixth year brown-haired Chaser with green-grey eyes, tugged on the Quidditch Captain's sleeve and pointed up at the sky. Lightning was flashing and the light reflected back like stars in his eyes.  
  
"No Michael, we are not staying out here." Joseph said. He looked back up at Jae, his bright blue eyes pleading off-set by his black hair. "You coming?"  
  
The thought had crossed her mind as the rolling grey clouds rippled with laser-like beams shooting from cloud to cloud. She closed her eyes as a headache took over her. Normally a headache like this would immobilize her for hours on end but not this time. "Don't wait for me. I'll be right behind you," she said looking up into the clouds, without much intention to follow too close behind if at all.  
  
"She senses something, Marcus," Michael said.  
  
"You know what it means when she does," Jose Rodrigues said. He was a bright man for a Seeker. Not that all Seekers weren't bright, it was more that to Jae, Seekers tended to either have a slight habit of sarcasm or play the game of "Captain Obvious."  
  
"Marcus..." Josh Baker, the other Chaser said.  
  
"Leave her."  
  
Jae stared down at him and sensed his frustration and anger at her. Just the emotions raging through him alone were enough to make her fear what was on his mind.  
  
"But Marcus," Michael had a look of fear in his eyes only comparable to one face-to-face with the Dark Lord and not prepared.  
  
"It's her own funeral. Leave her." His robes whirled around and his minions of a Quidditch team followed.  
  
She floated herself down to the bottom of the posts that hoisted the hoops and she swung herself around the bottom in a dance way but saw a cloud of green or grey or black smoke descending onto the school.  
  
Escape!  
  
Jae whirled around and saw nothing from whence the voice had come. It was her mother's voice, one she was very familiar with talking to her in her head whenever danger was near. She had heard this time her mother's thick British accent telling her to escape. Jae's head was pounding and suddenly she looked up. Fire was pouring out of the school building's windows. She jumped on her broom and was about to fly towards the flame-ridden structure as...  
  
Escape! Jae, escape!  
  
I have to help.  
  
Voldemort.  
  
The green-eyes emerged from within her brown changing color like most hazel eyes do. She took off on her broom and made towards Grandfather Mountain, which luckily for her because of her speed wasn't too far.  
  
Green erupted from the school and suddenly it was gone. Burnt to ash and all that were there evaporated into the midst of the Smokey Mountains. Alexis, her Quidditch team, professors, and even the other rival houses, all decimated. All were dead. She had heard their cries for help, their screams, their sufferings, all in her head. She had felt the pain, the torture, the agony, the angst, and all the range of emotions of those who were about to die. They let out a cry and were suddenly silenced. It was like a planet had been exploded into a shard of dust, but instead it was a school. An entire generation of American wizards and witches were now gone from all existence.  
  
And yet the single shadow that emerged from the rubble of dust, that now looked much like the surface of the moon, did not appear to be finished. She knew his name. Everyone did. Everyone who heard the name cringed and most who valued their lives were afraid to say it. But not Jae.  
  
Voldemort.  
  
The Dark Lord had returned.  
  
She hid there now, on Grandfather Mountain, in the midst of the trees that would now do anything to protect her. They knew her secret. They knew who she was. They also knew why the Carolinas now ceased to exist. They let Jae Long know precisely why this had all happened and she tried to cast all emotion aside like most well-trained Quidditch players could, but she could not. A tear emerged from the corner of her eye, and she that let on no fear was frightened.  
  
Voldemort was looking for her. 


	2. Of Quidditch and Nemesis

Two~ Of Quidditch and Nemesis  
  
  
  
There was a banging on the door, disrupting what would have been the best of mornings to stay in bed for endless hours. Jae opened her hazel eyes and gazed at the ceiling like it was the most evil thing that ever existed. It was four years after the unfortunate incidents of the late Carolinas school of witchcraft and wizardry. She was now the star Chaser for the Wigtown Wanderers while yet again she was the only girl on her team.  
  
Jae scrambled to grab her wrap from the chair beside her bed and stumbled to the door. What decided to greet her when she didn't wish to be awake was not exactly something she wished to see at this time of day.  
  
Her Quidditch Captain was there to greet her. "You're not ready?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"This game is the most important of the year. We have to have our practice this morning."  
  
"Morning?"  
  
"Long get ready. Practice now."  
  
She groaned. "Fine fine. I'll be right out Flint." She couldn't get the point of practicing at this damnable hour. She grabbed her robes and quickly got ready. She adjusted the blood red of her uniform and looked up in the mirror. Her black eye makeup she had worn yesterday was still evident because she had forgotten to clean it off the night before. She knew she didn't need it but the guys on her team insisted she look more feminine at practices in order to fool the other team if they were there. After she touched it up, she moved out of her room.  
  
An impatient Marcus Flint met her. He had graduated from Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry the same time she had graduated from the Carolinas. The first thing Jae ever noticed about him when she met him was his crisp British accent, but was quickly let down open noticing more about him. He didn't look too bad, in some odd troll-like way. He had what Jae thought to be "Billy-Bob" teeth. She was grateful that her Gramma was a muggle and had her have braces when she was younger. Jae had a small wire behind her lower teeth, which was called a permanent retainer. There was probably some wizarding way to straighten teeth but as with many things, Jae preferred the more logical and scientific and rational muggle way to the mystical and magical wizarding way. In Flint's case, his teeth were far beyond help, even in wizarding. Jae guess he didn't care too much. That was when she realized that the British were not really that notorious for having good teeth.  
  
He had the ambitious Jones-like nature in her mind and he told her that he had been a Slytherin at Hogwarts. If he was anything like the rest of the house, she knew any kind of friendship with him would be difficult. Jae didn't like him anymore than she did her Captain from school. Both thought that she belonged to them, but no, she didn't. She belonged to no one. As much as she was looked down upon for being an American, she hated first and foremost being classified as belonging to someone other than her own self when she didn't.  
  
"You really need to get with the program," he told her.  
  
"I find it pointless to be awake this early."  
  
"We're trying to beat Puddlemere to practice."  
  
"So they can't practice?"  
  
"Precisely."  
  
"Um, I'd like to play them at full strength."  
  
He never believed Jae when she showed what she thought to be bravery. "You sure?"  
  
"It's more of a challenge."  
  
The rest of their team fell behind them as they headed towards the Quidditch field. Jae enjoyed the color of her robes because she had always thought that she looked good in red. She knew she didn't look powerful, she even looked quite frail, but appearances were known to be deceiving.  
  
The group of blue and gold robes came towards them, being led by a burly young man with shaggy brown hair.  
  
"What are you doing here, Flint?" the Captain of the team asked in a rich Scottish accent.  
  
"Quidditch practice," he said slightly motioning the Seeker of his team to walk next to him shoving Jae back behind him.  
  
The man before him with the rolling accent and deep voice narrowed his intense brown eyes. "We reserved the field today, Flint. You don't have a new Seeker to train this time."  
  
One couldn't even cut the tension between the two Captains with a knife. Jae looked around at her team uneasily then looked at the other team's Captain again and noticed the scowl on his face.  
  
"Hold your horses, Wood, we can share the field."  
  
"Share? Since when did you ever want to share?"  
  
Flint looked around after there was a tug on his sleeve and looked at Jae. She gazed up at him and slightly batted her eyes in such a way that showed she needed attention. "Is this really necessary?"  
  
He hardly seemed to notice the look she was giving him. "You just want to go back to bed."  
  
"I play better well rested. Y'all are behaving like school-boys with a petty rivalry."  
  
Wood scoffed, "The girl is smart you know Flint."  
  
She looked over at him and squinted her eyes, as they changed between brown and green and back to brown again. His own brown eyes had a slight glint in them.  
  
Flint tried to push her away to lunge at Wood but Jae held him back and told him in a scolding manner, "The game must go on. If you fight him now it could be postponed or even cancelled. And Quidditch must not be cancelled."  
  
Their Seeker looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "She's right you know."  
  
"Flint can't fight your own fights can you? Have to get your chick to fight them for you."  
  
A flash of green eyes looked up and she whirled around. Without a word, Wood was on the ground. His team rushed to him and looked back up at her with fear.  
  
"Well then. Even I couldn't have done that," Flint stated with a slight smirk.  
  
She just glared at her own Captain and he backed of. She walked up to the fallen Wood. She noted that her victim was very well built. From looking at him she figured that he was the Keeper, but then remembered that Flint had told her that Puddlemere's Captain was a Keeper and was also on a rather long shut-out streak. Jae knew that she had to break his record of no one being able to score on him. The cracked her knuckles and looked up at the slightly backing away team of Puddlemere United. She smiled sweetly, but they still didn't appear to trust her. She looked back down at Wood with a slight smirk.  
  
He came to after a few minutes and looked up at her in question.  
  
Flint moved beside her. "Oliver Wood, meet Jae Long."  
  
His eyes widened in recognition of her name and he stuttered, "Long? Jae Long?"  
  
The entire Puddlemere United team had looks on their faces that were equal to utter terror.  
  
She offered her hand down to Oliver Wood. "The Famous Shut-Out Keeper eh?"  
  
He looked at her hand and then into her eyes in question and hesitated.  
  
"Do you want up or what?" When he still hesitated she continued, "Oh common, I didn't punch you that hard."  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"You were only out for a few minutes. I've knocked people out for months before."  
  
Oliver's whole team had the same expression on their faces. Each one seemed to look like they had their jaw drop to the ground.  
  
"Well would you like to remain horizontal because you look quite vulnerable down there," she stated with slight amusement to her tone.  
  
He seemed to lighten up a little and took her hand and she helped him up. "Uh, What did I do wrong to bring this on?"  
  
"First and foremost, Oliver, I am not nor will I ever be anyone's 'chick.' Remember that and you'll stay conscious by my hand."  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."  
  
"Most people act like asses due to assumptions."  
  
He found himself staring into her hazel eyes and noticed that there was warmth there. Oliver shook his head and said, "Flint acts like he owns you."  
  
Jae sighed noticing the glare Flint now had after he had moved away from her as she had helped Oliver up from the ground. "I know. But between you and me, he has no bloody chance."  
  
He laughed a little. "Bloody?"  
  
"Yeah I know. I'm picking up British slang."  
  
Oliver smiled and Jae blinked her reaction to his smile. "Where did you go to school?" he asked her curiously.  
  
"Carolinas..."  
  
He recognized the school's name from an article many years back in the Daily Prophet. It was an article surrounded by much mystery. He remembered that it read about this school being completely annihilated and only one student survived because she had a Firebolt. "You're how..." he started still puzzled by all this.  
  
"I'm your age Oliver. And yes, that one survivor was me."  
  
"Oh... how did..."  
  
"I can read minds. I need to cut back I think."  
  
"What is Flint thinking if you can read minds?"  
  
"His is a mind I'm frightened to read."  
  
Oliver laughed which caused Flint to glare because he sensed that he was being talked about.  
  
She laughed as well but also noticed her own Captain before Oliver did. "Nice meeting you Oliver," she added as Flint tugged her away and pushed her back from his nemesis. She fought her Captain a little and turned around quickly to throw at Oliver, "You're going down tomorrow."  
  
He rose an eyebrow and smirked. "We will see."  
  
As Jae left Flint snarled at Wood and said, "You stay away from her Wood."  
  
"She's not yours," Wood challenged.  
  
"Not like you'd notice a pretty girl anyway," he said avoiding that comment.  
  
"If she's smart she can see right through you."  
  
"What do you care?"  
  
"One would think that her Captain would treat the Jae Long as a valuable player rather than a possession."  
  
"She is a woman."  
  
"She happens to be the fastest Chaser in the world, or maybe you have forgotten that."  
  
"That's in the game. Out of the game she is a woman. Simple as that."  
  
"Far from simple I would think."  
  
"You think?"  
  
"Obviously you don't."  
  
"You don't know what you're talking about. Long is not your concern."  
  
"She does not belong to you Flint. She can hold her own. She is independent."  
  
Flint glared at Wood. "She is mine."  
  
Wood raised an eyebrow. "Oh she is, is she? Have you checked that out with her?"  
  
"Doesn't matter."  
  
"She is a Quidditch player and has her own mind and equal to us."  
  
"What do you know Wood? You know nothing about real life outside of Quidditch."  
  
"I can tell when you're being an asshole to a pretty girl."  
  
"You wouldn't know a pretty girl if she hit you in the face. Oh wait, she did!"  
  
Wood narrowed his eyes. "Well at least I know if a troll hit me."  
  
"What did you say?" Flint scowled.  
  
"You heard me."  
  
Before Flint could lunge at Wood, Jae jumped back in and pushed her Captain back. "Fine example to the fans you are," she scolded him.  
  
"You should mind your own business, Long."  
  
Oliver started at that remark and looked at Flint with what was kin to sheer hatred for that comment alone.  
  
Jae's eyes flamed. "I'm sorry if an argument about me ain't my business." She looked at Oliver in question and then said to Flint, "Practice. Now!"  
  
"I don't..."  
  
"Do I have to knock you into next week to get you to listen to reason?"  
  
Flint scowled again and headed off. He turned around and glared at Wood and told him, "See you tomorrow."  
  
Jae sighed as she pushed her Captain away from Oliver and then looked back at him, raised her eyebrows twice and quickly walked after Flint.  
  
Oliver Wood watched the other team leave and led his own back to practice.  
  
As they padded away from the confrontation with their opposition Jae felt something stab her. Her hand went to her head and she felt a headache coming on. Trapped, she looked around noticing that her team hardly noticed the pain that had took over her. She fought it. She let on no fear, no pain, no weakness to any of these men. Jae knew though that this wasn't your typical headache. Something was dreadfully wrong. 


	3. PreGame Antics

Three~ Pre-Game Antics  
  
  
  
It was not the typical Great Britain weather this morning. Jae propped herself against the building where her team would be meeting prior to the game. Her eyes were closed to the brightness of the sun. Her team arrived and she felt a hand go on her shoulder. She turned her head and her eyes met those of her team's Captain, Marcus Flint.  
  
"It is time," his crisp accent said looking down into her hazel eyes.  
  
She turned her face from him and shrugged his hand off her shoulder and moved away from him.  
  
His eyes narrowed at his star Chaser and sighed.  
  
Jae hardly paid attention to Flint's speech and final run-through of plays they could use. She wondered if he was aware that it would not be as easy as he thought it would be. She believed Oliver was a formidable opponent and could possible be her only challenge she has had since she was a forth year at Carolinas. Flint had played against Wood back when they were at Hogwarts, but in Jae's mind that did not make him an expert on his opponent. She was going to play the way she always had. She would not change for anyone no matter what.  
  
Jae pulled on her blood-red robes of her team and stepped out and the men came out behind her. She stared blankly in front of her and walked towards the Quidditch pitch with Flint on her left hand side and their team flanking behind them.  
  
"They have a cave troll," a rolling deep voice said with an edge.  
  
Flint made one quick move and was on top of Wood throwing punches at him.  
  
The victim dodged each swing with agility despite the pinned to the ground situation. Flint swung at his face desperately but never made contact. Wood's team rushed to his aid but none could get Flint off of him. He wouldn't stop his attempt at assault of the enemy team's Captain. One swing Wood grabbed his hand and stopped it mid punch and tried to shove the Slytherin off.  
  
Suddenly a hand grabbed the back of the collar of Flint and yanked him off of Wood with such force that he ended up on his back opposite Wood, who was now being helped up by his team. Puddlemere United stood in awe at the 5'6" black haired hazel eyed woman standing there looking down at the Captain of her team the Wigtown Wanderers with fire in her eyes.  
  
Flint pulled himself up, took one look in Jae's eyes and turned on his heel and stalked off to where their brooms were before they headed into the game.  
  
She stared after them as they left, her eyes burning with a fury at her Captain. She felt a hand on her left shoulder. Jae's gaze softened as she turned to see Oliver Wood in his Puddlemere United blue and gold robes.  
  
"Thank you," he said quietly as he slightly noticed his team heading off to their brooms.  
  
"Anytime," Jae said. "You scared?"  
  
He laughed taking his hand off her shoulder. "Of what?"  
  
"What I can do."  
  
He shook his head. "Not anymore than you should be of me," he said raising an eyebrow.  
  
Jae smirked and looked away from him. "I fear nothing." For a second she closed her eyes and frowned, but didn't let herself dwell on that and resumed her smirk before Oliver could notice.  
  
"Really?"  
  
She turned ad looked at Oliver with a glint in her eye. Closing her eyes again for a second she said to him, "Your first ever Quidditch game you remember quite well, for it is foremost on your mind." She looked back up at him and noticed the surprise in his rich brown eyes. "Took a Bludger to the head two minutes in, woke up in the hospital a week later. That correct?"  
  
He only nodded in response.  
  
She was amused by the bewildered look on his face when she spoke these words to him for she knew full well that Oliver was not accustomed to someone speaking his thoughts to him. She just smiled and said, "Me too."  
  
With that she flipped her hair as she departed from him to prepare for the match.  
  
There was a splitting pain increasing between her eyes, but she did not react to it. She thought she sensed something dangerous, but there was no way she would let that be known. She loved Quidditch and did not wish to cancel a game at all, no matter what. There was no reason so severe that the game had to be cancelled. One would call her way of things suicide, but she had felt that she didn't have much else to live for other than Quidditch, not since the people behind the Wigtown Wanderers fired the scout who had found her, Tier Splinta, who had been a former Gryffindor Beater and was two years older than her. They had gone against his better judgment and recruited Marcus Flint to the team as the team Captain over her. She didn't mind not being Captain, but a man of his stature ruling over her she knew that nothing good would've come out of it. They were not the best team out there, but Flint was blind to that and thought they were. He would do anything to beat another team, whether it be legal or not. Jae was weary of such tactics. She didn't care about winning. All she cared about was playing her game.  
  
She noticed a badger waddle in front of her. He was headed away from the Quidditch pitch. His waddling was more pronounced than a normal badger's was, although Jae didn't remember seeing many badgers before. She rose her eyebrow in question as she tried to get a better look at the creature. The white stripes on his head looked like he had been strategically struck by lightning. She thought she had smelt alcohol in his fur as he walked by. She wrinkled up her nose in reaction to the foul stench as she watched the drunken badger waddle as quickly as he could away from where the game would be played.  
  
An owl white as snow with a couple red stripes in her feathers flew down and took a perch on Jae's shoulder. "What is it Tyger?" the Chaser asked.  
  
The owl just hooted like she was frantic.  
  
"I will be playing my game today you know that."  
  
Tyger looked sad at this and tried to lead Jae away from the broom shed. The woman would not be moved.  
  
"You know what to do. If you sense danger before it happens, go for help. Nothing will stop me from playing my game."  
  
The owl hooted in submission and flew off.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Flint made no sound of warning as soon as Jae came to the broom shed. Within seconds she was suspended in the air, pinned to the wall and held by her throat. He squeezed her with his hand and glared right through her.  
  
"Don't you ever humiliate me like that again," he yelled.  
  
Jae stared at him defiantly and choked out, "Don't give me reason."  
  
He squeezed harder. "One more move like that you'll be off the team and no team will take you. I will make sure of that."  
  
She tried to speak but Flint was crushing her windpipe.  
  
"I can taint your name so high that no one respectable will want to be seen with you."  
  
She squirmed against his grip but he only increased it.  
  
"One more move like that and you'll never play Quidditch again." With these words he dropped her to the ground and she landed with a thud on her knees. He then snatched up his broom and stalked out leaving Jae behind. She was left alone to come to the game alone. She looked up at the space where he had occupied only to see him just leave the building. Her hand went to her throat as she gasped for air, fighting the tears that were edging in her eyes. 


	4. Flight of Chaos

Another Disclaimer: Many thanks to "Quidditch Through the Ages" so I actually look like I know what I'm talking about lol... but since I really don't the rights are really JK Rowling's, I'm just borrowing them so I look smart  
  
Four~ Flight of Chaos  
  
  
  
Flight had always been a source of victory and freedom. When she was really young, Jae remembered having a slight fear of heights. Her Gramma pushed her to learn to fly despite this and for many long years Jae Long conquered that fear. Now she felt so free when she flew on her custom made Firebolt XE. It was the fastest ever made and hers was black with silver markings on it that she had designed and embossed on it herself by use of her hand rather than by magic, and it gave her a source of pride.  
  
She loved the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair as she reached her top speeds, but she normally kept her hair tied up when she played. Today she had braided her hair into pigtails.  
  
The players floated in a circle around where the referee stood with the chest of balls. Jae looked to her side where Flint was and then looked ahead. She rubbed the sore spot on her neck and noticed Oliver staring at her. He saw she was in slight pain, and all she had to do was glance at Flint and Oliver could tell what had happened.  
  
The Bludgers and snitch were released and shot up towards the sky. Jae braced herself as she eyed the Quaffle now in the referee's hands.  
  
Up it went and all the Chasers made their dash towards the prize.  
  
Out of the mob erupted one lone player with the Quaffle headed towards the Puddlemere Keeper. The Puddlemere Chasers were left behind in the wake of the black broom ridden by blood-red robes. Pigtails flying behind her, the fastest chaser in the world eyed her target.  
  
Ding! The Quaffle went through the center hoop and Wigtown got their ten points. Oliver blinked a few times as he realized what had just happened. Jae Long passed in front of him and looked back and said, "Warning," and flew after the Quaffle.  
  
She and the other Chaser on her team used the Wigtown Wanderers famed move, the Parkin's Pincher, crashed against the Chaser who now had it and Flint flew in towards the victim, depriving him of the ball and leaving him quite bruised.  
  
Having obtained it he moved onwards to Wood's domain. This time the Keeper stopped the Quaffle with agility and it made it into the hands of one of his Chasers.  
  
After a good ten minutes of the game the score was 10-10 and Jae had just been almost knocked off her broom by a perfectly aimed Bludger. Performing the Sloth Grip Roll, from her upside down position she shot the corresponding Beater a look that could kill. Finally regaining herself and making herself upright and less dizzy, she went about her business and obtained the Quaffle after smashing her victim into one of the audience stands.  
  
Forming a Hawkshead Attacking Formation, the Wigtown Chasers flew towards the hoops, tossing it back and forth. After using this formation to intimidate the Puddlemere United team, Flint flew upwards with the Quaffle in a breakaway which caused Bludgers to be aimed at him by a Dopplebeater Defense. He tossed the Quaffle down to the waiting Jae, pulling out Porskoff Ploy, who pulled out her full speed towards the goal but suddenly a broom batted the ball away. Jae almost got hit with it and had to duck to save herself. She looked at her worthy opponent with shock in her eyes that such a well devised plan had failed.  
  
Oliver just looked at her and smirked.  
  
Jae's eyes followed the Quaffle but suddenly there was a loud bang.  
  
The referee looked up and saw nothing, but the stands which had been full to capacity of fans were now suddenly emptier than a out-door pool in winter.  
  
"Time!"  
  
"What is it?" Flint asked coming down to the referee as Wood came down as well.  
  
"Something's not right."  
  
"But the game?"  
  
"You can't cancel Quidditch," Oliver said.  
  
Jae looked down at the referee as she sighed and called the game back on despite the eerie emptiness of the stadium.  
  
It was another 10 minutes when Jae finally made another goal past Wood when there was another loud bang. When Jae looked around the referee was down, blood gushing out of her head. Jae flew suddenly behind one of Wood's three posts.  
  
Without any warning, both teams' Beaters were thrown from their brooms. The Bludgers went totally mad and took out the Seekers without much effort. The goal posts on the other side suddenly crashed down killing the Chasers of Puddlemere, the Keeper and one of the Wigtown Chasers.  
  
Oliver stared in awe and almost panicked but Jae looked on and made her way to his side. "Stick with me," she said with such calm in her voice he could do nothing else but listen to her.  
  
The Bludgers had found a new target with Marcus Flint. He had flown around the stadium frantically dodging both of them. If it had not been as serious as it looked Jae would've wondered if he was training for the ballet. In the case it was in there appeared to be no hope of survival for any of them left.  
  
One Bludger finally made contact by knocking Flint in the stomach and off his broom. Jae could see blood coming from the corner of his mouth as he fell to the ground. As if one hit and one fall wasn't enough, the other Bludger smashed him in his head and was destroyed along with his body. Jae shut her eyes. No matter how much she disliked Flint, she would've never wished this upon him or anyone else for this matter. The sight was too terrible for her to look upon or else all the food she had ate before the game would've been lost on the Quidditch pitch.  
  
Oliver shuddered as well after witnessing this but the he suddenly realized that the last remaining Bludger was coming straight at him. Before he could move Jae was in front of him.  
  
"Jae, no!" he cried but looked quickly and saw the Bludger frozen mid air. He came out from behind Jae and saw her eyes wide and unblinking in concentration with two of her fingers on her left hand pointed towards the possessed rock. With her remaining hand she pulled out her black and silver wand and exploded it. Sighing she turned to a wide-eyed Oliver. "It's not over yet," she said.  
  
He merely nodded, but as his eyes followed hers, he saw a shadow coming near.  
  
"To the ground," she barked, "Quick."  
  
Oliver didn't hesitate and did as she said. He landed on the ground quickly but looked up to see Jae fly off her broom. Startled he reached for his wand but he was too late.  
  
Instead she did a sumersault and landed on the ground on her two feet, bending from the pressure, but with feline grace.  
  
Before Oliver could ask her how she did that, the shadow took the form of a man cloaked in black. No one needed to tell him who this was.  
  
"You will not kill another, Voldemort!" Jae shouted standing in front of Oliver Wood, who had cringed at the mere mention of the name, "It is me you came for, let him be."  
  
"Brave as always, Long, but foolish. Step aside and accept the inevidable."  
  
"The inevidable is that I am not one to listen to orders from no one."  
  
"You must learn who is of greater power, young witch."  
  
"You must learn when to stop killing."  
  
"Step aside, Long."  
  
"No. You'd have to kill me first."  
  
"I did not intend to kill you."  
  
"Well I will not be joining you either."  
  
"But you want power and fame."  
  
"I never desired such things. They just came to me whether I wanted them or not."  
  
"But they can be increased."  
  
"I will not sell my soul for things that I never wanted and do not matter."  
  
The cloaked man chuckled. Oliver looked between the two and was just in awe of the fearlessness Jae portrayed all around her. He wondered if she deep inside was scared to death, but whether she was or not, she certainly didn't show it.  
  
"You can have the world if you joined me."  
  
"Why would I want the world?"  
  
"World domination is the desire of all."  
  
"Oh is it? They tell me that world domination is much like taking a candy from a baby, although some of us might find that more difficult than others."  
  
Oliver's eyes went wide but it was with seconds he heard the cursed words begin.  
  
"Avade Ke..."  
  
BANG!!!  
  
Instead of the green light it was famed for a sudden lightning bolt jolted through the bright blue sky and struck both Voldemort and Jae. Oliver was bewildered as he looked down at his wand in his hand.  
  
The cloaked creature vanished and Jae collapsed to the ground.  
  
Oliver dropped his wand and knelt down to her side. He shook her with unconscious urgency. "Jae," he said softly, his voice cracking, "Jae." While he shook her something caught his eye. Something had changed in her appearance. Her braids had come undone and her soft wavy hair now was all over her face.  
  
Oliver moved her hair away from her face and took his hand and rain his fingers along the outlining strands. There were two small bleach blond streaks now in her hair, the new color going all the way to her roots as if they had been there all along. Her bangs were still black as raven, but the blond outlines off set the hair with stark contrast. He traced these strands and looked at her face. Peaceful as in sleep, her eyes were closed. Her put his other hand on her stomach and noticed the rise and fall of her diaphragm, and sighed relief that she wasn't dead, yet.  
  
A cloud rolled in and the scent of coming rain filled the air. Oliver quickly untied the strings on the front of his blue and gold robe and pulled Jae up to his chest. He wrapped what he could of his robe around her and placed his hand on her head and pulled her in close. A heavy downpour let loose on the ruins of the Quidditch pitch and Oliver Wood kissed the unconscious Jae Long on the top of her head and held onto her like there was nothing else left. 


	5. Badger Awakening

Five~ Badger Awakening  
  
  
  
A hand rested on Oliver Wood's shoulder and he did his best not to jump. He moved his head to look around to see the kindly face of Professor Dumbledore.  
  
"You have been asleep here for a while. Perhaps you should get something to eat."  
  
Oliver blinked a few times and uncrossed his arms from their position on the bed where Jae Long lay. Everything came back to him now. Dumbledore had found them and brought them back to the medical wing of Hogwarts. His stomach grumbled as he realized he hadn't eaten since the game. He didn't even remember what day it was.  
  
Professor Dumbledore just smiled knowingly at Oliver. "I have brought you dinner. You have been here for a week."  
  
Oliver looked from the food now beside him and then to Jae Long. He could see the rise and fall of her chest but she was still quite unconscious.  
  
"She is fine, Oliver. She should reawaken sometime this week, perhaps even today."  
  
"Thank you for bringing me food, Professor," he finally responded as he moved to satisfy his stomach's growl.  
  
"Madame Pomfrey informed me that you refused to leave Miss Long's side."  
  
"Well she is kinda my responsibility isn't she?"  
  
"She saved your life and you in turn saved hers. In a way you are now both even."  
  
"But how did I?"  
  
"I don't know. I'm afraid no one is quite sure what happened for you are the only conscious witness."  
  
"And I have no bloody clue what I did."  
  
"Sometimes the most significant acts we do we cannot explain. It is the unexplainable that makes these acts great."  
  
"So she'll be okay?"  
  
Dumbledore simply smiled knowingly. "Yes Oliver, she'll be fine."  
  
With those words the Headmaster left Oliver to his thoughts, his food and alone with the unconscious girl.  
  
He was very grateful to be fitted with such excellent cuisine. He had forgotten what it had been like to eat at Hogwarts. He felt a nudge on his leg. He looked down and saw a badger. The black nose poked at him and the critter looked up at Oliver with big brown eyes.  
  
Oliver smiled and found a couple chocolate chip cookies and gave them to the badger. The animal scarffed them down quickly and then looked back up at Oliver, cookie crumbs glittered over his black and white striped face markings. "More?" the man asked with mock amazement, "Cheddar I think you've had enough."  
  
Cheddar proceeded to fall over on his back. Oliver looked down at his badger and groaned. "Oh no, not again," he sighed, "You've been into the scotch again haven't you."  
  
The badger had passed out where he lay at his master's feet.  
  
When Oliver finished his dinner he looked again to Jae on the hospital bed. He traced his finger along her blond strands of hair and looked into her face.  
  
"I don't think you can hear me but I just wanted to say you were bloody brilliant back there. You could stand up to You-Know-Who like one who didn't fear death. It was wicked I believe. You spoke words that were probably more unwise and foolish than brave. I fear though that if you hadn't done that I would've been killed regardless of how you felt. For that I thank you."  
  
There was no change in the girl that lay on the bed.  
  
Oliver took the hand that was closest to him in his own. He noted that her hand was very slender and soft on the top. Her palm had a callus on it and a few other marks that showed her less than feminine. Her hand showed years of Quidditch training and he could tell she didn't care about much else. Her nails were kept short but had a natural gloss to them. Her middle finger was slightly bent back and a little more inflated than her others. Oliver supposed she had jammed it a while back and it never completely recovered. Also on that finger he thought he saw a slight long scar.  
  
"Rose bush."  
  
Oliver was startled and he raised his eyes to notice Jae's sparkling hazel eyes looking at him curiously.  
  
"I was playing basketball one time..."  
  
"What's basketball?" Oliver asked curiously.  
  
Jae laughed. "A muggle sport played either indoors or outdoors involving bouncing a ball around and trying to get it into baskets or hoops."  
  
"Sounds..."  
  
"Similar but not quite. I'll have to show you sometime. Anyways, I was playing basketball in my driveway with a muggle friend of mine and the ball got caught in a rose bush. Those thorns are killer."  
  
"And you jammed it?"  
  
"Also basketball. It's a very involved and violent sport, at least it is when I play."  
  
"Intriguing."  
  
"Most muggle sports are. I should show you some of the injuries that hockey players get."  
  
"Hockey?"  
  
"A Canadian sport involving ice skating, a big stick and a puck."  
  
"You'll probably have to show that to me sometime."  
  
"Gladly. Hockey can be more violent than Quidditch, especially with fights and board checks and all that other great stuff."  
  
"Sounds fun."  
  
"Oh, it is."  
  
Oliver just stared down into her eyes, lost, not really knowing what else to say.  
  
"How am I still alive?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Voldemort did and Avada Kedavra. I should be dead. But I'm not."  
  
"I can't say how."  
  
"But you did something Oliver. Something made it backfire."  
  
"That's just it. It didn't backfire."  
  
"Then how?"  
  
"Jae, I only remember lightning."  
  
"You don't remember what you did?"  
  
"No I don't."  
  
"But you did something."  
  
"I guess so."  
  
Jae paused. "Well thanks."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Saving my life you idiot."  
  
"What was I supposed to do? Let him kill you?"  
  
"That was completely up to you."  
  
"You wanted to die?"  
  
Another pause. "Well no. Not particularly."  
  
"Then there's your answer."  
  
"I suppose so."  
  
"Besides. You could say I owed you one."  
  
"You didn't owe me anything."  
  
"But you saved my life."  
  
"I didn't ask for anything in return."  
  
"It was implied."  
  
"Why are you still here, Oliver? Don't you have a life out there?"  
  
Oliver gulped. "Well, no..."  
  
"Nothing better to do than be right here?"  
  
"I wanted to make sure you were okay."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe because I hoped you survived."  
  
"Why would you even care?"  
  
"I have nothing else left okay?!"  
  
With that Jae was silent. Oliver rested his head on the bed in exasperation.  
  
"Our teams are gone," he said muffled into the sheets, "Our Quidditch season is over. I couldn't very well go home. My parents expect a lot from me. They expect my life to be Quidditch, Quidditch and more Quidditch. That was all my life was. They would be very disappointed despite the circumstances."  
  
Jae looked away, blinking back tears. What he had said had hit home to her, but he wasn't allowed to see her tears. "Well at least you have your parents."  
  
Oliver looked up at Jae, and turned her face towards him. He noticed her tears, but did not react the way she had expected. "You don't have parents?"  
  
"They died when I was four and my Gramma who rose me died last year."  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know," he said wiping a tear from her eye.  
  
She looked confused on her face, but softened her features. "I'm sorry I ask too many questions. I'm very analytical."  
  
He smiled. "I could tell this."  
  
"You're still holding my hand."  
  
He quickly let go. "Oh sorry."  
  
She looked at his now lonely hand and opened hers up and looked him in the eye. "It wasn't a complaint. It was an observation." He smiled and took her hand again in his. "So why are you still here?"  
  
"Do you want me to leave?"  
  
"No. I like the company. I want the company. It's nice to not be alone."  
  
"Okay then."  
  
Jae reached with her free hand and placed it on Oliver's cheek. "Fuzzy."  
  
Oliver blushed a little and used his free hand to rub his chin and move her hand away from his cheek. "Yeah I know."  
  
"Haven't left my side?"  
  
"Guilty as charged."  
  
Jae smirked.  
  
"I don't like to shave anyway."  
  
"That much is obvious. Grooming doesn't seem to be your forte either."  
  
Oliver noticed his hair had not been cared for in a while maybe. "Uh, oops."  
  
"Washing hair would be a good idea, but messy hair is interesting."  
  
Oliver smirked. "That would be bed head."  
  
"Ah yes, bed head."  
  
"So long as my hair doesn't look like Snape's I'm fine."  
  
"Snape? Severus Snape?"  
  
"Yes. Do you know him?"  
  
"Know of him. He knew my mother."  
  
Before Oliver could inquire about that he noticed a nudging on his leg again. He bent down and picked up Cheddar.  
  
"Badger?"  
  
"This is my badger, Cheddar." He then put the animal on the bed with Jae.  
  
"Oh hello Cheddar."  
  
He proceeded to nuzzle next to Jae and then waddle about the bedlike he owned it.  
  
"Affectionate badger, ain't he."  
  
"He can be."  
  
"He smells like alcohol," Jae pointed out.  
  
Oliver was shocked at her pointing out the scent as quickly as she did. He gathered it was a woman thing and overlooked it. "Oh. Cheddar fancies his scotch. He has a slight drinking problem. But he's somewhat sober right now."  
  
"More like hung over."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So he's a Scottish badger?"  
  
"We Scottish aren't all drunks."  
  
Jae laughed. "I didn't say you were Oliver."  
  
"You implied it," he added a pout to emphasize his point.  
  
"Cheddar is still Scottish though."  
  
"He's more like a cheesy badger."  
  
"Perfect name choice."  
  
"I thought so." 


	6. Morning Dark

Six~ Morning Dark  
  
  
  
Like a cloud descending upon a mountain, a black ball of fur pounced up onto the hospital bed without a sound. She coked her head and blinked her yellow eyes. She contemplated the theory of evil not wearing a bonnet randomly. She was not too sure about this male human thing before her and near her pet. She prowled up to investigate. He didn't smell too bad. Although the smell of the Great Smokey Mountains just before the rain did not appeal to her in the slightest, most human females found it to die for. Why, she would never know.  
  
Odd primitive species.  
  
He stirred as she sniffed him to make sure nothing was wrong with his person. After she brushed up against his face she figured she would own him as well. She went to where his face lie next to her territory's face and rested in the crook of his arm where his hand held the girl's.  
  
Jae's eyes opened and saw the feline between her and Oliver. The man had woken up with a sneeze for the cat had left a fuzz ball in his nose.  
  
"I'm her territory," Jae said releasing her hand from Oliver's, "She tends to be possessive."  
  
He blinked confused.  
  
"Ravyn, my cat."  
  
He looked down at the black cat that would not be moved from laying on top of his arms.  
  
"What the bloody hell were you thinking?"  
  
Oliver again looked at Jae confused.  
  
"You were sleeping next to me!"  
  
"If you hadn't noticed, Jae, I'm not fully in the bed. It was just my face and my arms. And if you remember, you did not seem to mind so much."  
  
"How dare you!"  
  
"What's wrong with you today?"  
  
Jae just sat up in bed. "I don't think I'm going to dignify that with a responce."  
  
"You said you didn't want to be alone."  
  
"Well I do now. Leave, Wood." There was evident bite n her voice.  
  
Likewise he replied. "It seems to me, Long, that your cat has a different idea in mind."  
  
"And you insist on taking responsibility for your actions."  
  
"You shouldn't blame me for your PMS."  
  
"You're bloody just like everyone else!"  
  
Oliver blinked. "Okay. That's it. Fine! Have it your way. Forget I even tried to care." He moved Ravyn, despite her protests. "So this is how I'm treated after being nothing but nice to you? I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies." With that he finally stalked out of the hospital room with one swift movement, preventing himself from saying anything further that he would regret.  
  
Jae watched him leave. After contemplating the theory of how Oliver was one of those men who looked good from every angle she suddenly realized what had just happened. Ravyn looked at her property with a look that did not approve and just jumped off the bed and left after Oliver.  
  
Now she was alone. No cat, no drunken badger, and her owl Tyger was somewhere around, but not here. She did not recognize where she was but Oliver had told her that she was at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
She wondered why she now kept thinking about Oliver Wood. She had not been too happy with how close he had been to her for she did not want anything remotely like that. Perhaps though she felt a bit guilty about what she had done. Left to her own devices she remembered the sound of silence. It was not unfamiliar to her. It was the sound of her life. She traveled alone, she lived alone, she was alone. She fancied herself independent. And yet now she noticed something just wasn't right. She felt some pain. Something was missing.  
  
She had never liked being alone.  
  
"So Mr. Wood has finally departed?" a monotone, deep and slightly haughty voice asked.  
  
She looked up at this man she had never seen, heard or been introduced to. His hair was black as was his dress and his eyes were uncolored or at least there was no name for this dark color. "Professor Snape?"  
  
"Very good, Miss Long, for someone who has not met me."  
  
"No preconceived notions either. I knew you knew Mom but nothing further than that."  
  
"Your mother was the reason James Potter and I never got along. To him I was only a bloody Slytherin who had best not weave charms or potions on his little sister. Steph wasn't interested anyways and that was fine with me. She was a worthy friend."  
  
"Then she met Dad."  
  
"Yes. Your father changed my mind about Americans. He was the most honorable one I ever met. I true testament to people of the Slay house of the Carolinas, which is like our Gryffindor here. Never before had I met someone of either house that exemplified the characteristics of that house with such accuracy." He sighed. "At least their passing was honorable."  
  
Jae smiled. "Dying for what one believes in is the most ultimate and worthy sacrifice.  
  
Snape nodded. "Have you met Mr. Potter yet?"  
  
"No, not yet. I'm not certain if it is wise for my link to him to be revealed at this time."  
  
"It is inevitable now."  
  
"He doesn't know his father even had a sister though does he?"  
  
Snape shook his head, "Most likely not." After a long pause, he then said, "You look so much like your mother."  
  
"Is that a pass on me cause I'm half your age."  
  
Jae noticed Oliver Wood had returned as she also saw a slight smirk on Snape's face. The Goth looking professor turned to him. "Did you bring Miss Long her breakfast, Mr. Wood?"  
  
"Yes Professor Snape," he replied shortly, but had a slight confused look on his face.  
  
"I have a class I need to teach. First year potions," he said. Jae half expected him to shudder, but that wasn't a Snape kind of thing to do. "So I will take my leave and speak with you more later Miss Long."  
  
She nodded as he turned on his heel and left.  
  
"Was Snape just smirking?" Oliver asked in wonder.  
  
"I tend to have that effect on people."  
  
He blinked and spoke, "Your breakfast?"  
  
"Is this waffles with boysenberry syrup?"  
  
"Appears so."  
  
"Thank you." She went to work on the plate in front of her. There were no words exchanged on the events of the waking up incident. Oliver now sat a slight bit further away from her than he had the previous day. Jae wasn't sure why she didn't like the distance. Could it be withdrawal? No. Never. Don't need a guy. But... No!  
  
He wasn't quite sure what to think of this situation. He needed to play Quidditch. That was what was wrong. First the shower he had taken had been very refreshing, but most importantly it had been over a week since he's played Quidditch. He was having Quidditch withdrawal.  
  
"I need out of this wing," Jae blurted out, interrupting Oliver's thoughts.  
  
"Madame Pomfrey says you're almost read."  
  
"Good. I need a shower and then maybe some Quidditch. Maybe not necessarily in that order."  
  
Oliver's mouth nearly dropped to the floor.  
  
"I'd recommend you pick up your jaw before your face gets stuck in that position."  
  
"I was just thinking the exact same thing you were thinking."  
  
"Delightful. We agree on something. Now pardon me while I find a container for my joy."  
  
"Your enthusiasm is overwhelming."  
  
"Well I could tell you that your smile makes me want to throw myself under a train but that fitted better with Flint... although I probably shouldn't have said that."  
  
Oliver's face almost cracked while he tried in vain not to laugh.  
  
Jae just glanced up at Oliver and pushed her tray away from her.  
  
"So wasn't your house Gryffindor's equivalent?" he inquired.  
  
"Yes it as."  
  
"And you realize..."  
  
"I know who Professor Snape is and from which house he comes."  
  
"But..."  
  
"When will people realize that not everyone from the same house are identical? Not all Slytherins are the spawn of Satan?"  
  
"Satan?"  
  
"Arg, pure-bloods. Okay let me rephrase. Not all Slytherins are the incarnate of evil."  
  
"Jae, he was my teacher..."  
  
"I know. Teachers aren't bad either. Just misunderstood."  
  
"Still. How can you speak with him civilly?"  
  
"He and I have an understanding."  
  
"On a first meeting you have an understanding and can get him to smirk?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"How?"  
  
Jae looked Oliver Wood in the eye. "If I told you, I would have to kill you." 


	7. Enter Serpent

Seven~ Enter Serpent  
  
  
  
"I don't fly that end of the Quidditch pitch!"  
  
"Oh Merlin, Malfoy, as much as you mention Potter one could think."  
  
"Warrington, how much do you value your life?"  
  
All that could be heard was a chorus of crickets.  
  
The grayish blue stared down at the other boy. The sneer was evident on his face. No other Slytherin, to his knowledge, would dare cross him lest they lose all chance to further their genetic lineage.  
  
Slytherin's Golden Boy they called him. Could be the fact that he was the only 7th year of that house with white-blond hair. He was not your typical oblivious male. He knew most girls thought he was the best thing to walk this planet, but he didn't give a damn. Any attention given to him that was at the expense of Potter was a good thing to be milked for all its worth.  
  
"Malfoy, isn't that Wood over there?"  
  
He looked over to notice the brown-haired, brown-eyed, former Gryffindor Quidditch Captain talking to the current Gryffindor Quidditch Team with some dark-haired girl. Draco Malfoy carried himself higher than that of his team, being the Captain and a seventh year. He also held himself with the poise of someone who had the power to hex anyone who crossed him, just due to his famous family name. His long blond hair was slicked back, most likely with a gel-like substance, in such a way that if one hair was out of place it would be noticed by all. His blue-grey eyes did not twinkle, for he held most all his emotions in check. The Quidditch robes he wore over the sweater uniform clung to his slight form just so, and his long pale neck he tilted as he eyed the sight, horrendous to his eyes, of a different and lesser house at the school. He raised his dark eyebrow in question and slight amusement as he noticed that Weasley and Granger had also joined with the team to talk to the former Hogwarts student.  
  
"I heard he's our new flight instructor," Warrington continued.  
  
"Because Madame Hooch had to join the Ministry to help look into the recent Quidditch game attacks," Montague continued.  
  
"I say we investigate," Malfoy declared in such a manner, so as the rest of his team had no say in the matter. He led the Slytherin Quidditch team over to accost the Gryffindors.  
  
"What does he want?" Harry Potter sighed outloud as he noticed his nemesis coming towards him. Oliver was just about to introduce the girl standing beside him to the Gryffindors, but was interrupted by the Slytherins coming to cause havoc. Nemeses and Captains of the teams met face to face with their prospective teams falling behind, Oliver, his guest, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger on the side of the Gryffindor team.  
  
"Getting help from a pro-Quidditch player are we? Where is the pro player for each of the other houses?"  
  
"Like you ever cared about the other houses, Malfoy."  
  
"It isn't fair for only the Gryffindors to get pro help."  
  
"But it is fair for your father to buy your team brooms?"  
  
"That is not the point," Draco said throwing the accusation aside like a wet towel after a shower, "I maintain that it isn't fair that our new referee is only 4 years out of Hogwarts and still biased to his former house."  
  
"And Snape still referees does he not?"  
  
"He doesn't referee the Slytherin games."  
  
"Likewise, Wood wouldn't be refereeing Gryffindor's games."  
  
"Is that true?" Malfoy directed his question to the man they were talking about.  
  
Oliver raised his eyebrow, probably the first time in his knowledge that the prat actually did decide to acknowledge his existence. Not like it was important. He looked at Malfoy with contempt and said, "Yes it is true. Do you still have a problem?"  
  
"I'm not sure I like this idea."  
  
"Like you have a say in it?" Harry Potter wasn't into listening to Draco Malfoy today.  
  
"I should. I could just go tell my father."  
  
The dark-haired girl behind Oliver Wood rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut as Hermione said, "I don't think running to your father would be very becoming for a person your age. You can't just keep running to him for all your problems."  
  
"I would suggest you keep your opinions to yourself, Mudblood."  
  
Suddenly the dark-haired girl emerged from where she was to step in front of Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle had shown up in the courtyard to join the Slytherin team, and were not at all fazed by the slight figure now approaching their ringleader. She took her mouth off of the straw and cup of a brown thick liquid she had been nursing on and holding and handed it to Oliver. She stepped in front of Granger and Weasley, preventing them from retaliating. "You will regret your words," she addressed him, her voice giving away in full her land of origin.  
  
"Regret what?" he asked inserting a term that surpassed any word ever heard by many of those present in vulgarity.  
  
Oliver recognized it and his eyes widened and the whole company gasped.  
  
Except this girl. If just one look could kill, this would be one of them.  
  
But she spared his life, but not his consciousness for now Draco Malfoy was flat on his back, knocked out squarely.  
  
The Gryffindor's snickered at the situation, but all among them looked at this girl in awe and slight fear.  
  
She looked down at the heap of Malfoy, cocked her eyebrow and noticed two rather large and thick boys attempting to rush to his aid. Without a word they too were knocked out, significantly worse than the first, and she instructed the Slytherin team, "If y'all know what's good for ya, take these two to the hospital wing, but leave Malfoy to me."  
  
They did so without question.  
  
He awoke, and didn't even notice that his hair was now rather out of place. He blinked up at this girl now standing over him with a smirk that he should wear instead.  
  
"Malfoy, this is Jae Long," Oliver said with a glint in his eye.  
  
The Gryffindors gasped in recognition and Malfoy simply raised an eyebrow attempting to retain some amount of dignity. It was incredibly difficult to remain dignified while you were flat on your back due to some girl.  
  
She offered her hand down to the blond one and said, "If you like the ground, by all means I have no problem leaving you here."  
  
"I can get up on my own thanks," he replied and proceeded to do so.  
  
Jae still was smirking and she noticed the glare she was now receiving from Malfoy. He seemed even more outraged that she was slightly amused by this entire situation.  
  
"If you would like to know Malfoy, I am clearly aware of your family name and the power that goes with it."  
  
"You realize."  
  
"Threatening me with your father will not work. When it comes to me, I fight my own fights and expect you to do the same. I have a great deal of respect for the Malfoy family, despite their prejudiced ways. They are still great wizards, and you would wish me to keep them high in my thoughts."  
  
He only blinked.  
  
"Now is not the time to explain that."  
  
"I think you're flirting," an Irish brogue said.  
  
"What?" Jae Long whirled around to face Gryffindor Keeper Seamus Finnegan.  
  
"What you did would be considered flirting you know."  
  
Draco Malfoy looked quite repulsed. Sort of the reaction you would expect of telling him he had to shag a muggle-born, or a Hufflepuff, or Professor Snape.  
  
Jae put on a thoughtful expression and said, "I see your point." She then went about circling the outraged Slytherin Quidditch Captain and looked Seamus in the eye. "A good ole punch in the face followed by unconsciousness on the part of the victim is the universal 'I want to have your babies,' sign."  
  
Malfoy looked as if anything he had eaten this week would be lost. Oliver Wood on the other hand almost lost his jaw.  
  
"You realize, Mr. Finnegan, how many guys that would be eligible fathers on that account?"  
  
"Actually no."  
  
"Finnegan, I got your name right, correct?" He nodded. "Keeper if I'm not mistaken." More nodding. "I am a Chaser, as I'm certain all y'all are aware of. Real Quidditch girls are rather physically violent."  
  
Ginny Weasley rose an eyebrow. She was now a Chaser for Gryffindor's team.  
  
Ron Weasley furrowed his brow. "I don't follow," he stated.  
  
Jae then looked as if she was trying to tally something up in her head. She counted on her fingers and almost went to take off her shoes to count by toes, until Oliver said, "I think we get the point."  
  
"Point not made yet."  
  
"Um. okay?"  
  
"Okay, that would tally up to each of the Keepers I've ever played against, including Mr. Wood here. The Wigtown Wanderer's old agent Tier Splinta. he was quite the cutie I might add. even Marcus Flint. Okay now that's an image I want to wake up to in the morning."  
  
Oliver shuddered at Flint's name, but had taken into account Jae's mentioning of Splinta with a slightly curious yet confused expression.  
  
Malfoy was still scowling at Jae and she looked over at him to notice his hair was still out of place.  
  
"Lighten up and take your wand out of your ass, Malfoy. It could've been worse."  
  
The scowl now on his face was of an unmentionable evil.  
  
"I could've did to you what I did to Crabbe and Goyle. Heck, I could've even turned you into a ferret."  
  
He gritted his teeth. "How did you know about that?"  
  
"Ummm, I guessed."  
  
"Sure as hell you did. Who bloody told you?"  
  
"You just did. I just picked a random animal."  
  
He emitted a snarl that rivaled all snarls in humanity. His blue-grey eyes pierced into her own, attempting to find some sort of weakness.  
  
Even Jae Long couldn't say no to a look like that. "Okay I lied. I read someone's mind. He seems rather ecstatic about calling you, 'the amazing bouncing ferret.' Whatever that means."  
  
More snarling from Draco Malfoy, now directed at the smirking, redheaded, freckled wonder of Ron Weasley. With a glare spared for each and every one of the Gryffindors, he turned on his heel and left.  
  
"Add that to the many reasons to kill Ron Weasley with a crossbow."  
  
Oliver looked at Jae with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"That's what he last thought," she explained.  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"Well, no, but there are young ears present."  
  
"Right."  
  
"What's this with the crossbow, I wonder."  
  
"Who knows the inner workings of the mind of Malfoy?" Harry Potter said aloud.  
  
"Who wants to know?" Ron stated.  
  
Jae shrugged.  
  
"But I do say he looks better from this angle."  
  
Everyone whirled around to see Ginny checking out Draco.  
  
Ron snarled, Harry's mouth hung open in shock.  
  
"What? Did I just say that aloud?" she asked innocently.  
  
"I believe you did," Seamus stated.  
  
"He looks better from this angle?" Jae asked and took a look at what Ginny had noticed.  
  
Hermione looked like she would be sick.  
  
Jae Long tilted her neck and strained her eyes. "I can see clearly without spectacles and I see no such matter."  
  
"But."  
  
"Ginny Weasley, correct?" She nodded. "You should know better."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You just should."  
  
Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived to be Utterly Confused and Oblivious, then asked, "What's going on?"  
  
Jae just smiled, and patted him on his head, despite the fact he was taller than her.  
  
Oliver, the Quidditch star who had absolutely no idea what was going on around him just looked Potter the Quidditch Captain in the eye and said, "Now show me those new plays you've been practicing." 


End file.
